Styling Tips: Choosing your eyeglasses

At Smith & Norbu, our objective is not only to manufacture beautiful products, but also products that make people look better. While making a bespoke eyeglass, the eyewear taylor will help the most demanding customers in the choice of the shape, the size, the color, the finish… Choosing the right spectacles can make an enormous impact on the way you look. Spectacles are no longer seen as a devise to aid your vision but mostly as a reflection of your personal image or a way to enhance your facial features. Have a look in the mirror, and study the shape, the curves and angles to find the styles that will suit you best. Generally people’s faces can be a combination of different shapes, so use this information only as a guide, not as a rule.

Oval Face Shape: An oval face is well balanced and softly rounded; the forehead is slightly wider than the jaw, which curves gently, and the cheekbones are high and face length is approximately 1.5 times the width. Oval is a versatile face shape with features that can work with a variety of frames.
TRY:There is really no limit as to what kind of frames and in what shape you should look for. One thing to consider is to select frames that maintain your balance proportions. Square and rectangular frames add contrast to the curved lines of the oval face. Other shapes are fair game as well, just be sure to keep scale in mind and avoid frames that are too small or too large, throwing off the natural balance of the face.
AVOID:Styles that are uncomfortable to wear or that you feel do not suit your face.

Round Face Shape: Round faces are all about curves. Full cheeks, a wide forehead, a rounded chin, few angles, and a balanced proportional length and width are the characteristics of a circle shape’s face. Round faces are usually proportional in width and length.
TRY:The most recommended eyewear’s shape for you is angular frames with lenses that are wider than they are deep. We can say that aim of angular frames is the lengthen your face and make it appear slimmer and longer. Rectangular frames would be most suitable.
AVOID:Small and round shapes and very large frames which will make your face look rounder.

Square Face Shape: A square face has a broad, deep forehead, wide horizontal jaw line and square chin. Square faces are generally proportional in width and length
TRY:The key for squares is to find frames that allow their architectural features to shine. Look for narrow, oval, and round frames to contrast the straight lines of the square face. They will soften your jaw line, lengthen, and make your face appear to have more curved edges.
AVOID:Thin, angular, geometric and square styles that accentuate the angles of your face.

Heart Shaped Face: A heart-Shaped face has a broad forehead, tapering to a small neat chin and mouth. Cheekbones are generally high and angled following the contour of the face. This face has a very wide top third and small bottom third.
TRY:The trick for heart shapes is to find shapes that balance the varying widths of their face. To minimize the width of the top of the face, choose frames that are wider at the bottom to balance the shape of the face.
AVOID:Styles which are wider at the top; these will reflect the face shape rather than balance it.

Rectangular Shaped Face: Rectangular faces have more length than width. Typical characteristics include a long forehead, high cheekbones, and a longer nose. The right frames will add width and break up the length of the face.
TRY:Go for frames with a strong or accented brow line that give a strong horizontal element. Frames with a bit of depth in the lenses will balance the length of the face. Shapes with rounded edges and curved lines will soften the angularity of the face.
AVOID:Styles which are small, narrow lenses that will exaggerate face length.

The color of a frame can have just as much impact as the shape. Selecting colors that work with your skin tone can take glasses from standard to spectacular.
You may be tempted to choose a frame color that “goes with everything.” But consider instead a color that truly flatters you and helps you make your personal style statement.
At Smith & Norbu, we only work with natural buffalo and yak horn. Every single piece of horn is obviously different. However, we have identified seven main colour categories:

Original Dark Yak Colour

Black Yak Colour

Original Light Yak Colour

Light Brown Buffalo Colour

Dark Brown Buffalo Colour

Black & White Buffalo Colour

The plates that do not belong to these categories are listed in the exceptional plates category.
The main factors that determine the best color palette are the colors of the skin, eyes and hair.

Skin: Skin tone is the prime element in determining coloring. All complexions fall into one of two color bases blue (cool) or yellow (warm). A cool complexion has blue or pink undertones, and a warm complexion has a “peaches and cream” or yellow undertones. In the United States, cool, blue-based complexions are more common than the yellow-based warm complexions. About 60 percent of the population are “cools.”
Once you have determined if you are “warm” or “cool,” then you can find the eyeglass frame colors that will suit you the best.
Some examples of frame colours best for warm colouring are: Original Light Yak Colour and Light to Medium Brown Buffalo.
For cool colouring, the best eyeglass frame hues are Black, Original Dark Yak Buffalo and Black & White Buffalo.

Eyes: Eye colors usually are a secondary element in determining coloring because of the many variations of eye color. For example, blue eyes can range from a cool almost-violet to a pale blue-gray, which is warm. Brown eyes can vary from a light cider shade (warm) through a medium-brown to a cool almost-black
Blue eyes: A contrasting Medium to Dark Brown Buffalo will help your blue eyes pop. Or, for a super intensified look with an edge, opt for a matching tone, like Original Dark Yak colour.
Green eyes: For a pretty complementary shade, try something in the Light to Middle Brown Buffalo family, and for something more vivid, go with a nice Original Light Yak.
Brown eyes: A Black & White Buffalo will provide just the right amount of contrast to make brown eyes stand out, while a matching Medium to Dark Brown Buffalo will help deepen your natural eye tone.Hazel eyes: Why not try a light brown buffalo frame to emphasize the gold in hazel eyes? And to give depth to hazel peepers, go for a Darker Brown Buffalo tone.

Hair Color: Your hair color (natural or otherwise) can have a big impact on which frame colors will work best for you. Consider not just the shade of your hair (brown, blonde) but also whether it has cool or warm undertones (Strawberry blond, platinum, blue-black, white, auburn, salt-and-pepper and ash brown are cool. Warm hair colors include golden blond, brownish black, brown-gold, “carrot” and “dirty” gray). Determining if you are cool or warm toned is the key to success choosing your best frame color. This quick list will get you pointed in the right direction.
Blonde Hair: Blonde with Warm Undertones:Warm blondes have honey and bronze tones in their hair, and are generally slightly darker. For glasses, warm blondes can go for Original Light Yak, or Light to Medium Brown Buffalo. Avoid colors with grayish or blue-ish undertones.
Blonde with Cool Undertones:Cool blondes have ashy undertones and lean toward the platinum end of the spectrum. Cool blondes can easily wear Black Yak, Original Dark Yak Colour, Black & White Buffalo. Avoid colors with strong yellow or gold undertones.
Brown Hair:Brown with Warm Undertones:Warm browns tend to be darker shades with more auburn and red tones like Light to Medium Brown Buffalo Colour.
Brown with Cool Undertones: Cool brunettes are usually lighter in shade and have ash undertones. Go for Black Yak, Original Dark Yak Colour, Dark Brown Buffalo, or Black & White Buffalo. Avoid colors with strong yellow or gold undertones.
Red Hair:The inherent vibrance of red hair makes it an ideal partner for strong frame colors.
Try rich Brown Buffalo and Black & White Buffalo. Avoid Ashy and yellowy tones that will undermine redheads. Black Hair:Black hair looks great with black yak, Black & White Buffalo and dark Brown Buffalo. Avoid diluted or ashy tones as they may appear washed out.
Grey & White Hair:All tones of grey hair provide an excellent chance to match Black & White Buffalo or Original Dark Yak Colour. Stay away from yellow and brown frames that have a dulling effect.